The title of this book suggests an anthology of accounts of
Filipinos who have migrated overseas and of the ways in which their
relationships with home are shaped by technology. But Global
Filipinos is much more nuanced than that. It offers a
descriptive and intimate account focused on two individuals, called
Luis and Angelina, who hail from Haliap village in Ifugao Province,
northern Luzon. As Deirdre McKay follows their lives closely
through their sojourns overseas, she documents in ethnographic
detail their journey from a rural village to work sites abroad, in
Hong Kong and Canada, and, finally, their homecoming.

Throughout the book, McKay addresses central themes of
globalization and migration, presenting findings from her long-term
participant observation. She seeks to understand the world of
migrants through the lens of anthropology, focusing on the
experiences of members of a single neighbourhood. While this goal
may seem an ambitious one, for such a narrowly focused study, the
book's unique perspective gives readers fresh insight into
translocal identities in the context of cosmopolitanism.

McKay opens her book with a fairly dense chapter on the history
of Haliap. This chapter sets the stage for subsequent chapters in
exploring dimensions of culture, religion, ethnicity, politics and
migration. The second chapter, "Becoming a Global Kind of Woman",
will appeal to readers interested in the ways in which gender
shapes progress and development in the Philippines. With women
comprising over 70 per cent of workers abroad, the Philippines
makes a compelling case study for the impact of migration on
traditional gender roles and household dynamics.

The author brings to the fore such issues as land rights and the
conversion of agricultural land, depicting the struggles rural
people commonly face in sustaining or supplementing their
livelihoods. Much of the discussion will inform comparative
perspectives on other cases in Asia and beyond. The author also
raises a relevant point about continued institutional support in
the Philippines for migration for domestic work and so called "care
work". This support appears to be an effective smokescreen for the
state's failure to address the country's employment problem, as
through economic and labour policy reform. This failure of the
state to address the needs of its citizens is an important theme
that recurs throughout the book, helping to explain the
frustrations and disappointments, as well as the motivations and
aspirations, of these global Filipino migrants.

In the second half of the book, McKay provides a thorough
explanation of the processes of migration and of its impact on the
maintenance of village ties as well as subjective identities. It is
important for readers to note that the case of Luis and Angelina is
a rare and unusual one, as very few couples in the Philippines
migrate together.

McKay makes the point that migrants feel closer to their kin
while abroad because the financial prowess gained from having found
work in the destination country enables them to fulfil their
obligations as son, daughter, parent or sibling. Therefore, rather
than weakening village ties, temporary labour migration may
solidify and strengthen them. Nevertheless, transnational
relationships also face limitations and stresses, in such forms as
emotional distress, overdependence and unreasonable expectations.
This discussion may be confusing to readers, as McKay does not
sufficiently address the seeming inconsistencies in her
evidence.

The final chapters of the book provide an interesting contrast
to the first half as they delve into the struggles of readjustment,
in a new host country as well as upon returning home. The plot thus
takes an interesting turn as it highlights issues of family demands
on and expectations of migrants, and considers the broader and more
structural issues of temporary immigration and entitlement to state
welfare. In her concluding remarks, the author demonstrates a high
level of self-reflexivity in explaining the limitations of her
research design and methodology, giving readers an opportunity to
review the claims of her study.

This in-depth and well-written narrative provides a rare glimpse
into the lives of individuals shaped by globalization and
migration. It also raises critical questions about the concept of a
virtual village in which migrants' lives are enmeshed. It is
especially recommended for readers interested in anthropology and
cultural studies.

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